The invention relates to an x-ray diagnostic apparatus having operating keys for the organwise programmed setting of the exposure data via setting means and having respectively one indicator field assigned to each operating key for the respective body portions or body organs, having an indicator board which is common to all operating keys and also having means comprising a selective switching device for selecting one body zone recognizable from a specific number of body zones represented on the indicator board, the selective switching device being operatively constructed so as to visually associate selection of a body zone thereby with the representation of such body zone on the indicator board, the contacts of the selective switching device and the contacts of the operating keys controlling the setting means for the exposure data, a given set of exposure data relating to a set of specific body portions or organs becoming available when a specific body zone is selected, and in which sets of displays can be selectively presented at the indicator fields of the operating keys under the control of the selective switching device, each set of displays being assigned to the set of the body portions or organs of one of the body zones.
An x-ray diagnostic apparatus of this type permits selection of a great number of exposure data combinations by means of a relatively small number of operating keys. If, for example--as this is the case in the sample embodiment according to U.S. Pat. No. 3,916,192--seven body zones and seven operating keys are provided, forty-nine different exposure programs can be selected by means of the seven operating keys.
In the subject of the sample embodiment of U.S. Pat. No. 3,916,192, the indicator means, assigned to the operating keys, are formed by rollers which are turned by the selective switching device and are labeled according to the exposure programs possible. Thus, the indicator means are of a purely mechanical type and are connected to the selective switching device via a mechanical coupling, for example, a cable line. For such mechanical indicator means it is disadvantageous that they require relatively large space and are subject to malfunctions.